After two postponements due to the pandemic, Comic Con Scotland took place in Edinburg on October 8th & 9th, in The Royal Highland Centre. It’s the largest events venue in Scotland, and it held one of the biggest fan events in the UK.
They invited guests from all sorts of franchises: Jodi Benson (Ariel in The Mermaid), Claudia Wells (Jennifer Parker in Back to the Future). But the sensation of the event was definitely Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars).
Other beloved guests were from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals: Daniel Gillies (Elijah Mikaelson), Candice King (Caroline Forbes), Kayla Ewell (Vicky Donovan), Michael Malarkey (Enzo) and David Anders (Uncle John).
Saturday morning
I arrived to the venue pretty early, since I had an early entry ticket. It was so cold, but my hoodie and my minion onesie kept me warm. Once I reunited with my friends, we took a quick walk around the halls. They had all sorts of merchandise and exhibition products: Marvel, Pokemon, Game of Thrones, Stranger Things. We loved the setup they built of the famous Mystic Grill café and Stranger Things’ clock!
After that, we went to Daniel Gillies’ photo booth. The hall was pretty cold, but we didn’t mind. Daniel was all smiley and kind with fans, who absolutely enjoyed meeting him and taking all sorts of funny and dorky photos. I hadn’t seen him since last December, and by then plexiglass was still on, so when we reunited, we could finally hug and properly catch up. It was a pretty amazing feeling.
After the photos, we headed to the autographs table, where we could chat properly. I will always be amazed by his memory. His questions about my life were so precise, and I absolutely adored that he just got up to hug me and take a selfie. Seeing him being so attentive and lovely to fans was an amazing experience. Even though he was jet lagged and exhausted, he gave his best to every person there.
After that, my plan was to have my 2nd photo in the afternoon, but I wanted to queue early. I was so early that I caught him in the photo session prior to lunch. He laughed when he saw me, because we just had our 1st photo two hours ago. To my surprise, after the photo was taken, he started chatting with me and we spent a bit of time there. It felt great not being rushed and having time to just talk. A bit later, we both had to go, so we left for lunch – after I promised him he’d see me again later.
Saturday afternoon
After lunch, we wandered around until the panel with The Vampire Diaries cast began. We managed to be seated pretty close to the stage, and the whole thing was hilarious. They talked about filming the show, funny moments, which team they support. They are all Team Damon, which caused massive cheering, and they even confessed Ian Somerhalder is the best kisser!
It was a great experience, and the day closed with that panel. Since we didn’t have more activities for the day, we left for the city to have dinner and rest a little bit.
Sunday morning
This day didn’t have so many activities, but it was still pretty remarkable. I arrived as early as the previous day, and when we went in, my friend and I went to Daniel’s photo booth. It was still very cold, but we enjoyed seeing each other again and taking our funny photos. As always, he was super attentive and funny.
After that, we headed to the autographs table. My friend helped me explain to Daniel a little idea I had to raise money for a great cause. He was so excited about it, and he told me to keep him updated! I told him I’d do that once I gathered all the details and had the proper confirmations. It meant a lot to me that he was so on board with the idea.
Then it was time for lunch, and the rest of our activities were autographs. My friends and I had to separate, because they had autographs from other guests. So I went to Daniel’s table by myself and enjoyed more chatting and funny moments. The last autograph was the hardest. When I told him I was sad, since I didn’t know when I’d see him again, he just smiled and said “Don’t worry, you will see me again”. It was so cute, and he spoke Spanish for me which is so amazing to witness and listen to. Before leaving, even though I didn’t have a selfie, he got up and gave me the biggest hug. He made me promise I’d send him my campaign details to help me which almost made me cry.
And that was the end of the day. After that, I headed back to my hotel to pack my things and get back home.
Comic Con Scotland 2022 Review
After years of not being able to attend these sort of events, it was like a breath of fresh air. Reuniting with long distance friends to enjoy the event and meet our favorite people is one of the best feelings ever. I’m so glad I could do this last week.
Nevertheless, I have some complaints about the event itself: While the guests were wonderful, their staff members were too rude and pushy. They wouldn’t stop hurrying the guest, even though there was plenty of time and the queue was okay. That just ruined the experience for the fans, who were already nervous about meeting the guest. I am so grateful that some guests, like Daniel, told the staff members to stop doing that and took their time with each fan.
I understand the staff are doing their job, but they forget the event is for the fans. On top of that, very often that moment is their only chance of meeting the guest. They shouldn’t be so rude and pushy about the time for the photos and autographs. Same thing goes for the “no touch” policy. Of course, I understand there are boundaries to be set, but they shouldn’t treat the guest like a puppet and forbid them of any contact. If they want to hug the fan, they should be allowed and not pushed back.
Apart from the rush and rudeness of some members of the staff, the event was pretty smooth, and the experiences with the guests were just unforgivable. I definitely can’t wait for the next time! If everything goes right, I will attend Liverpool Comic Con in November. This one has a pretty epic line up too – so…keep an eye out!
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Hello! I’m Paula, a Spanish deaf girl who absolutely enjoys and loves watching movies and shows, as well as traveling, reading and writing. I grew up reading adventure books and writing fictional stories, and continued watching cartoons, movies and shows. I soon found myself enjoying that SO much that it became my special place and a way to escape from reality and problems, while it helped me to learn a lot and grow. My friends call me Dori and/or minion, but it's only my distinctive aspects that make me unforgettable. Don’t believe me? Well, consider yourself challenged to prove me wrong.
